Caracterização de sítios de quebra utilizados por macaco-prego-do-peito amarelo (Sapajus xanthosternos) em duas regiões do norte de Minas Gerais

Abstract

For some time the use of tools is no longer considered uniqueness of humans. More and more species of capuchin monkeys (Sapajus spp.) Are described in the literature for using stones such as hammers and anvils for foraging, for the breaking of encapsulated fruits, difficult to manually open. Most studies of this behavior were performed with Sapajus libidinosus. For Sapajus xanthosternos there is only one published study. The objective of this work was to expand the characterization of the use of tools to break fruits by S. xanthosternos, focusing on two new areas. The research was carried out in two study 6areas in the north of Minas Gerais, the district of Santa Rosa de Lima and the State Park of Lapa Grande. The areas were systematically searched for break sites that, when found, were characterized using digital scale and scale. The break sites used by S. xanthosternos are similar to those described for S. libidinosus, with large numbers of fruit remains found on the anvils, the surface of the generally flat anvils and the presence of at least one nearby tree, less than 3 m away from the anvils, probably serving as an escape route. Some differences were also found, such as the average weight of the hammers, relatively higher than that found for S. libidinosus; the vegetation cover at break sites, which does not occur all year round and the absence of depressions in the anvils with presence of pores. This study also recorded a new record of stone weight used as a hammer by the genus (7 kg), and provided the first statistical data for S. xanthosternos that also show selectivity in the choice of hammers according to the processed fruit, as already described for S. libidinosus.